The Next Generation: The Treasure of Misdow
by FallenHero93
Summary: A sequel to the original story. Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy are in their first year at Hogwarts. A new group of fanatical Death Eaters is formed. And Hogwarts itself is going to witness some major events. The adventure goes on...
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first fanfiction. I initially wrote it in my native language, but afterwards I decided to publish the English version as well, since I might get more reviews. Why Harry Potter? Because I'm fascinated with the HP universe. Moreover, I felt that there were some aspects throughout the series that needed to be changed, so I decided to make things right in this new one. _

_I have thus decided that the stories (which will of course be shorter than J.K. Rowling's novels) be a parallel between the old and new generations. I first read HP quite some time ago, so I did some research, since I didn't want to make any blunder. This fanfiction includes very few of the original characters (you'll soon discover who they are). Some are from the epilogue of Deathly Hallows (such as Harry and Ginny's kids), but most of them are made up._

_And the Disclaimer: For Merlin's sake, I don't own anything of the HP Universe. However, I do own the new characters, which I will introduce gradually._

_Hope you like it – and hope you review it._

**Chapter 1**

**Meeting at**** Ollivander's**

Diagon Alley was extremely crowded in July 2017. Young wizards, actual or future students at Hogwarts, joined or not by parents or relatives, were wandering through all sorts of eccentric shops to buy school supplies.

The public attention was most certainly drawn towards Ollivander's, the old selling place of the useful magic wands. This was because the already famous Potter family were inside, with their youngest son, Albus, in his first year at Hogwarts. Harry and Ginny were facing the Daily Prophet reporters.

- What type of wand do you think young Albus will own?

- Well, I...

Harry didn't even get to utter an answer, for the next question came in:

- What house will he be sorted into?

- Let's hope not in Slyther..., Ginny tried to make a joke, being however rudely interrupted.

- What are the expectations you have for him this year?

- We think...

In the middle of this chaos, Albus was striving to find the right wand for him. He had already broken a few boxes belonging to Ollivander's grandson. For Merlin's sake, Rose must have been so lucky – she had found her own after only three attempts. If it was true that the wand picked the wizard...well, the one meant for him was probably a bit confused, if it hadn't found him yet.

His stream of thoughts was suddenly disrupted by a group of noisy youngsters who only seemed a bit older than himself. He immediately recognized his brother, James and his friends, Apollo, Alcyon and Evan. They were second years, so they weren't in need of a wand.

- I finally found you, Al, said James laughing. What? You haven't found a wand yet?

Albus wasn't the talkative type, and the presence of his brother's three friends wasn't that stimulative. But he focused and uttered two short sentences to please him:

- Sort of, James. I have no idea what's going on.

- Oh, come on, Al, it may happen to anyone.

It wasn't in his habit to encourage others – he had inherited his grandfather's personality traits -, but he did care about his brother. Even though they weren't alike.

- I wish Mom or Dad helped me, complained Albus.

The three others could barely abstain from bursting into laughter, but they were aware that they should never mock at James' brother. They had tried it previously and had been left with green hair all summer long.

- Oh, stop being so dependent on them. See the bright side – if they came over here to help you, all those nasty reporters would focus on you instead. Hey, Evan, over there! See that lady who wrote the article about us when we accidentally locked all Gryffindors in the Common Room?

They were all laughing while remembering that one – which had also given them detention. Little Albus sighed. He couldn't see the funny part in locking hundreds of souls in a room, even if by mistake.

While the other were remembering their last adventure, a girl closely followed by her father entered Ollivander's. She had jet black hair and eyes as dark as night itself, being a bit shorter than girls her age. She headed straight towards the counter, being quickly noticed by one of Ollivander's assistants.

- Welcome, miss. You want a wand, right?

She threw a questioning look at him.

- No, I want an autograph. Of course I want a wand, that's why I'm here.

Although a bit confused after her answer, the assistant turned to look about for an appropriate wand for a witch like her. In the meanwhile, she ironically told her father:

- Look who's here, Dad. The famous Potters. Those who get everything just because they're famous.

- Easy, darling. It's not nice to talk this way, especially because they might...hear you.

- If they hear me, what? It's not like...

The little girl's menacing remark was disrupted by the assistant's thin voice:

- From poisonous willow wood, with a core of two strings of unicorn hair.

Skeptical, she took it and pointed it at a corner of the store, where there were two paintings in motion. They exploded out of a sudden. The young assistant sighed. He had to go through this every year.

The girl looked straight into her father's eyes, which were the same as hers, and asked:

- Now I may?

- Alright, alright. After all, we don't want to destroy Mr. Ollivander's place.

He felt relieved – Merlin knows what method they could have that could be less destructive. He was amazed to see the man handing the girl his own wand. She pointed it at the boxes and said out loud:

- _Revelo!_

Gray sparkles burst out and one of the wands was released from the shelves almost instantaneously. The witch caught it in the other hand.

- This is it.

The assistant blinked a few times, then said:

- Carved in black sandal-wood, with a core made of a Phoenix's feather. An...exclusive piece. And somewhat expensive.

- That will not be a problem. We've been saving money for so long, haven't we, darling?

The girl's father took out some galleons and paid for it. Afterwards, the two of them walked out of the store as they had walked in. Without looking on either the right side or the left side, but straightforward.

Away from this corner of Ollivander's, five boys stood agape with wonder.

- _Revelo? _I've never heard of such a spell in my entire life, said Apollo.

- Snobs, commented James.

Albus, however, had gone straight to his father, pulling the edge of his robe.

- Dad, pass me your wand, please.

Harry turned away from the reporters for a few moments.

- Why do you need it, son?

- I have my reasons. Give it to me.

Although he was a bit intrigued by his odd request, he did as asked. Albus pointed it at the shelves and uttered the word he had just heard. A wand came in his hand sooner than he expected.

- Look, Dad, I made it!

- H...how did you do it? What kind of spell is this? Where do you know it from?

- Doesn't matter. Be glad that I haven't set Ollivander's on fire.

_Revelo._..To remember, thought Albus.


	2. Chapter 2

The name of Albus' owl, Avellion, is derived from Andrew Avellino, saint protector against sudden death. This small clue will be relevant later on.

**Chapter 2**

**Platform 9 ¾**

- Al, it's going to be alright, son.

- We've all been through this.

Harry and Ginny were trying to comfort him. He didn't quite agree that he had to temporarily break up with his family – unlike his elder brother, who wandered as far away as he could, so that his friends didn't see that he came with his parents at the station.

- Relax, Albus. Avellion will take care of you, right?

The boy smiled, looking at his Snowy Owl that ressembled his father's Hedwig. Suddenly, a question came to his mind:

- Dad, what if I'll be a Slytherin? he said in a low voice. His both parents had been Gryffindors. His brother was one as well.

- Son, you were named after two men. One of them was a Slytherin and was one of the bravest I have ever known. Now, be brave and go to the Hogwarts Express.

- And what if I hit the wall?

- Stop worrying. You'll manage to pass through it.

A bit hesitating, Albus hurried towards the wall. _I can do it, I can do it...I should think of something positive. Yes. I have to pass, so that Avelly's cage doesn't fall. Alright._

With this brave thought in mind, the boy came even closer...and immediately went on the other side. He couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at himself – he was in one piece. And his pet owl had all feathers in place.

Then he lifted his eyes and glanced at the imposing Express on the railway. Now it was the time for questions. How did Hogwarts look like? How would he do in school? He took a deep breath and whispered slowly in Avelly's direction, as if he could understand:

- Come on, pal. This is just the beginning of the adventure.

He thus began to drag along the two pieces of luggage and the owl's cage until he reached one of the doors. He stopped and wondered how would he ever lift those up. The road had been tiring enough for him. All of a sudden he heard a voice from above:

- Hey, Potter. Want a helping hand?

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a boy his age with a pale face, blonde hair and green eyes.

- Sure, why not, he said. He was more than willing to accept.

As soon as the luggage was up, the boy helped him climb as well.

- I'm Scorpius Malfoy.

Indeed, it was him. Albus had heard some things about him. He looked so much like his father, but he did not hate the Gryffindors as much – or those who came from Gryffindor families.

- Nice to meet you, added Albus.

- Will you join me in my compartment?

- Of course, why not. Anyway, I don't know anyone my age except for Rose Weasley.

After a few seconds spent walking along the hall, Scorpius opened a door. Albus would've preferred that they had been the only ones out there, but luck wasn't on his side. There also two very similar girls as well. Great, two more people he will have to speak to.

- Look, Albus, they are Daphne and Arachne. I met them on the train.

He said hello, and they replied politely. They seemed OK, he said to himself. Arachne had blonde hair with dark brown highlights and brown-greenish eyes, while Daphne had brown hair and the same eye colour.

- You're sisters, aren't you?

He had no idea what had struck him to speak on his own, without being asked to.

- Yes, we are, they said in chorus.

Their combined voices sounded just like a Veela. Albus could feel cold shivers running down his spine.

- We're twins, said Arachne.

- Not identical, as you can see.

- I'm 5 minutes older.

Their voices sounded closer to normal when separated.

After they'd been confortably seated, Scorpius noticed:

- I forgot to ask. What House would you like to be sorted in? I want to be in Slytherin, he said in a pround tone.

- Me too, agreed the blonde witch.

- Well, I...I'm not sure. Arachne wants Slytherin and I'd like to stay next to her. On the other hand, the colours of the Hufflepuffs are so lovely! But in _Hogwarts: A History _it is said that Ravenclaw values creativity and I am quite creative. Gryffindor wouldn't be too bad either. What would you say, Arachne?

Her sister rolled her eyes.

- The Sorting Hat knows best, Daph. Stop being so nervous.

Next, Scorpius turned towards his new friend.

- And how about you, Albus? I guess you want to be in Gryffindor.

His name awakened his two female companions' admiration.

- Albus? As in Albus Potter?

- The son of Harry Potter? Who defeated You-Know-Who?

- Well, yes, that's me...

He didn't enjoy this. The fame was his father's, not his. He hadn't done anything to deserve admiration. But there was no way he could stop this.

As if in order to disrupt this unconfortable moment, James and his gang suddenly opened the door of the compartment.

- Hey, Al! There you were! I've been looking for you everywhere. I see you've made some friends..., he said with a particular intonation in his voice, glancing suspiciously at Scorpius. What was his brother doing with a Malfoy? Whatever...his life, his friends.

- Have fun, Albus, We still have a long way to go until Hogwarts, he said, closing the door.

James told the others:

- What if we went to compartment 52? We'll have loads of fun.

Intrigued, Evan asked:

- Is there anyone...interesting out there?

- Of course. That freak girl at Ollivander's. She's all alone – she'll enjoy our company, won't she?

They all approved of the brilliant idea and headed towards that place.

The girl in black was indeed sitting alone in 52, on the seat closest to the window. Not that she would have used it for looking through it (that activity seemed plain boring to her), but she was reading and needed light. She was reading a thick old book with brown paper covers on the outside, while enjoying the solitude as well. The last thing she needed was chit-chatting companions.

Obviously, she couldn't have expected company. She heard the door open, then she lifted her eyes from the book, hoping that it wasn't a late first-year who needed a seat. It was even worse. Potter and his gang. She knew them by sight.

- Well, well, look who's here! Our old acquaintance, right, boys? said James.

- Of course, added Apollo. And she's...reading! Instead of doing something more interesting.

The young witch threw a glance at them that could have killed, had it been alive.

- Such as bursting into others'compartments and stepping on their nerves? she acidly replied.

- Look, she's annoyed, said James, making his way inside.

This was already too much. They were in her private space.

- What book is this, Miss Bookworm?

And without waiting for an answer, he took it from her hands. He tore the paper covers apart to reveal a book entitled "Advanced Potions. Your Not-So-Easy Wizard's Guide".

- Advanced Potions! For Merlin's beard! That's even weirder that standing all alone in a compartment.

- Are you actually reading that thing or are you looking at the pictures? asked Alcyon, stunned.

Now it was time for her to reply. They had mutilated the covers of a book in perfect condition and had mocked her. She stood up and said:

- This book has no pictures. Pictures are only for smart boys like yourselves who can't tell the difference between Polyjuice Potion and The Draught of Living Death.

That irritated the four. James took out his wand.

- _Tarantallegra!_

The young witch immediately stretched her arm forward in the direction of his wand. Nothing happened.

- _Tarantallegra!_

Still nothing.

- You want me to do a crazy dance? You know what they say, Potter. The seventh time is a lucky one, she said smiling ironically in a corner of her mouth.

- How...how did you do it?

- I can do more things than _you _think I can. Moreover, I thought using magic was forbidden outside of Hogwarts.

- The same for you, he claimed, trying to defend himself.

- Did it look to you as if I used any magic? Did I utter any word? Now...OUT!

Without further words, the four immediately got out. They couldn't believe that James couldn't perform a simple spell.

- How could it be? I tried it on many others before her.

- Perhaps she's protected against curses, tried Evan.

- No...No way. There's no such a thing.

- Ahm, James...

The others turned to Alcyon.

- She stretched her arm in the direction of your wand. Couldn't it be possible that she created a shield against magic?

- Oh, come on. Wandless magic?

- What other explanation do you have?

- I have no idea. But you know something? Ignore her. Let's find other nerds in the train.

From behind the door, the witch wanted to sit down, but then she remembered it would be wise to make sure no one would bother her throughout the journey.

_- Colloportus._

And then she resumed her seat, complaining to herself about the book's destroyed cover. She reopened it at the first page, where the title was written, followed by two lines in different handwritings:

_Thassion M.'s coursebook, 1993, Hogwarts_

_Rosabella's book. 2017_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Finally, at Hogwarts**

The Hogwarts Express had stopped. It had taken a lot of time for students to get off the train, having such a huge crowd around them. In front of them there was a tremendously huge lake that they had to cross to reach Hogwarts, School of Magic, Witchcraft and Wizardry. It already was pretty dark outside, but the night landscape was marvelous.

Rubeus Hagrid was sitting there carrying a torch in his hand, heading first years towards the magical boats. He was old enough by now, but he still kept his position as Keeper of Keys and Grounds. As an eager observer could have seen, he was scanning the crowd, looking for a particular student. It didn't took him a long time to find him, though; he had a noisy owl and a blonde-haired friend.

- Hey, Albus, out there!

The young wizard looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hagrid, who couldn't help but give him a strong hug.

- Easier...I'm...choking!

- Sorry, boy. 'Twas the thrill. I'm, ya know, Hagrid.

It was then that Albus remembered him.

- Indeed, it's you! Dad told me so many things about you from when he was at Hogwarts!

- Right, right!

Then, noticing the boats were beginning to move away from the shore, he slowly whispered:

- Go now. You don't wanna be late for 'he sorting, d'ya?

The half-giant let him go, shedding some tears in the process. He had a particular bond to Harry Potter's family and felt Albus was a special child.

- They grow up so fast, he said to himself.

...

Rosabella happened to share a boat with other two girls her age. They were both talking way too much for her taste. One of them had reddish-orange hair and called herself Rose...Rose what? Ah, of course, Weasley. All Weasleys had the same hair colour. Another friend of the Potters. And the other was named Ambyra Bayrn, from what she remembered. Your tongue got tangled if you tried to say that.

She honestly hoped the journey wouldn't be too dull. The girls kept talking about their common friends, the house they hoped to be sorted into or how handsome was Arton Heathrill, the Ministry representative that taught Apparition in the final years - his picture appeared monthly on the front cover of the Daily Prophet. As for her, she had long known which house she wanted to belong to, she had no friends and last but not least, she did not give a knut on how the Apparition teacher looked like.

But her apparent boredom was suddenly disrupted by a loud shriek coming from one of the adjoining boats. Every single student turned their eyes in that direction. She didn't quite get the idea of whatever was happening, but she nevertheless heard the horror-stricked voices from the rest of the passenger. One of them was Albus Potter, the other one was a blonde boy and the third was a girl of the same hair colour, but with brownish highlights.

- Daphne! The monster took her to the bottom of the lake!

Ambyra yelled at the others:

- What monster?

- It must have been the giant squid, the blonde shouted.

- That's impossible! The squid doesn't attack humans! desperately cried Arachne.

While the rest kept blaming one another and tried the solve the "monster dilemma", Albus dived for the young girl. He had no idea what had pushed him to do that, but he would have done it anyway. He just couldn't let her drown.

Rosabella stared in terror at the surface of the lake. So Potter had truly ventured to rescue someone's life. So unexpected. She began to regret that it hadn't been her who had gone for Daphne, but she was afraid of water. Rose Weasley was feeling useless since she couldn't be of any help to the two still left in the boat, while her friend, Ambyra, was holding tight to the edge of the boat so that she didn't fall as well.

Since the event, the boats had magically stopped. Only random whispers could be heard among the scared first years. Even Scorpius Malfoy was saying in a low voice:

- Come on, Potter...Don't die...not now!

After a few more moments, Albus resurfaced and brought Daphne as well, being immediately followed by thunderous applause. They faded away in an instant, however, since the young witch did not appear to be in good condition. Nobody had any idea what to do. Being first-years, they knew no spells. A few teachers could be seen approaching in the distance, but it could've been too late until their arrival.

In the middle of this general despair, a faint incantation was heard:

- _Redivivo._

Rosabella had knelt down and was now pointing her wand at Daphne. All eyes were set on her, but were as quickly turned towards the girl that was recovering her consciousness.

- Where...where am I? What happened?

Rosabella answered, this time in a louder voice:

- Temporary amnesia. A side effect of the resuscitation spell. It will pass.

A tall witch appeared all of a sudden at the scene. Surprisingly, she had deep blue hair caught in a bun and rectangular glasses – some knew she was Charms Professor. She threw the girl a questioning glance.

- She seems alright. It was nothing more than a minor shock. I can't believe something like that happened at Hogwarts!

And then she looked as if she remembered something. Her blue eyes were instantly fixed on the all dressed in black child in the other boat. Rosabella started panicking.

- And you, miss...Magic outside classes! Normally, I would subtract points from the house you belong to...but since you don't belong to any house right now and since the spell was performed to rescue someone else...you might as well consider yourself free of all charges. _Abitio, _she said, pointing her wand over the surface of the water, and the boats resumed their movement.

The girls who shared one with Rosabella were amazed. Ambyra could barely find her words to say:

- Wow, you...you know spells? How come?

For a second, she thought to reply: „Because I spent those years learning, not like yourselves, staring at Heathrill's picture in the newspaper". But she didn't do so.

- Well, I just...happen to know things.

- I'm Ambyra Bayrn, the first one introduced herself.

- I'm Rose Weasley.

Although she wasn't that pleased with shaking hands with two supporters of the Gryffindors and the Potters, she ultimately did so as not to appear rude in front of them. She could guess what would come next: questions about her, her family, her impressions on Hogwarts etc. She guessed right. Why couldn't people understand that she hated revealing that many aspects of herself?

Finally, they reached the edge of the lake. The dark-haired girl was the first to descend from the boat, eager to escape their interrogation. She wanted to reach Hogwarts once and for all. Rose and Ambyra had nevertheless formed a not-so-good impression about her. It wasn't normal for a child their age to speak that little.

The first-years were quickly lead to the main hall. The older ones were already sitting at their respective tables. Right in front of them there was the professors' table, which was of course fully occupied, except for one place.

The same Charms Professor asked the freshmen to make silence and thus began her yearly speech:

- Welcome to Hogwarts, School of Magic, Witchcraft and Wizardry in this school year. My name is Verna Velfinna and I'm Deputy Headmistress and Charms teacher as well. As some of you may know, here will take place the sorting ceremony, during which the Sorting Hat will pick you for one of the four houses. The house you belong to is extremenly important. You'll add or subtract points for your house, you'll sleep in the same place as other members and you'll all spend your free time in the Common Room. Well, having said that...let the sorting begin!

The whispers could be heard again after Velfinna had finished speaking – in fact, nobody had uttered a word during the time. They were all anxious, not knowing where they would end up or if they did end up in the house they or their relatives hoped for.

Velfinna shortly received a very long parchment from another old wizard, that is headmaster Sapientio Magophilus, former Care of Magical Creatures professor.

- I will call out your names in alphabetical order. When you hear your own, come here and sit on the chair, and the Sorting Hat will decide your fate. Without further ado, let's begin: _Arutus, Aeber_!

The first was sorted into Hufflepuff.

After a while, another name was heard:

- Bayrn, Ambyra!

Ambyra headed angrily towards the chair because Velfinna had mispronounced her name. Wasn't there anybody who could?

She placed the hat on her head and it said:

- Hmm...I feel a bit of anger...but also intelligence and determination. Ravenclaw!

Ambyra couldn't have been happier. Her lifelong hope was not to end up in the same house as Arutus Aeber, that ugly, overweight and clumsy boy.

A few minutes later, another name was uttered:

- Malfoy, Scorpius!

All eyes at the Slytherin table were fixed on him. It didn't take a long time, though; no sooner did he get close to the chair than the Sorting Hat said aloud: _Slytherin_! All of a sudden, every single one in that house rose and applauded him. Of course, his last name was highly respected among them.

He almost reached his new housemates as Velfinna read:

- Mortrand, Rosabella!

The freshmen lost their tongues when they saw her walking towards the Hat. Her name was by no means familiar to them, but her figure was. They had all seen the weird girl who was wearing exclusively black outfits performing spells.

James whispered to Evan, who sat at his left at the Gryffindors' table:

- Mortrand...Nice name, isn't it? Resonant...

The answer he got was:

- Oh yeah...If she doesn't get into Slytherin, I'll rip the Marauders' Map apart.

James quickly warned him to shut his mouth. His father wasn't aware that he had stolen it from his office at home. Moreover, he would've received some painfully long detention had this been found out.

The young witch stepped proudly towards the chair. Ever since she had found out about Hogwarts' house system, she had known where her place was. And if that hat dared to contradict her...

The Charms Professor placed the magical item on her head.

- Hmm...What do we have here? I feel lots of determination, yes...and ambition as well, and loyalty. You should be a Gryf...

Without anyone noticing, the brim of the hat suddenly began to crack.

- Slytherin! Slytherin! Definitely Slytherin!

Rosabella smiled subtly, as for herself. Persuasion – always useful. Even for thinking magical objects.

And then the professor mentioned a long-awaited name...Albus Potter. Silence fell all over the hall. He hated that.

The Sorting Hat thought for a few seconds, then concluded:

- A Potter. Courage, fidelity and honesty. Gryffindor!

The little boy was relieved. Meanwhile, so as to keep up with the Slytherins, Gryffindors also rose and applauded Albus.

Later on, few important events took place. Arache Syrtis, the blonde with brown highlights was sorted into Slytherin as she wished, being immediately followed by her sister Daphne, who was in a pretty good condition after the recent "giant squid incident". She was put into Hufflepuff. Indeed, their colours were adorable! But...wouldn't Ravenclaw have fit her better? Or perhaps...

But then it stroke her. She and Aeber now belonged to the same house. This could not possibly happen! It was the very nightmare of every first-year girl! The young witch kept crying during the whole ceremony.

The last major name was Rose Weasley's. The Hat recognized her right away:

- Another Weasley? How long am I going to endure this? Gryffindor!

Soon, every Hogwarts student was sitting at his or her corresponding table, and headmaster Magophilus announced the beginning of the school year, in the same time conjuring the food onto the plates.


	4. Chapter 4

**Capitolul 4**

**First days at Hogwarts**

After the end of the sorting ceremony, the first years were taken by the Prefects of their respective houses, who showed them the school's interiors, ending of course with the Common Rooms and the bedrooms.

Cyrus Findel, the fifth year Prefect, was tall and athletic, with piercing blue eyes. He immediately spotted Albus Potter in the crowd of young Gryffindors, much to the latter's displeasure. He was already being given too much attention. It was annoying.

Once in front of the fat lady's portrait, Findel said the password:

- Sleeping dragon powder.

The Common Room door opened, allowing the curious kids to enter. Every one of them took a seat, trying to get used to being in Hogwarts. Albus was probably the only one who didn't know other boys his age – well, except for Scorpius, but he was in Slytherin. So, while others formed groups around the chairs or on the floor, he sat near the fireplace, observing in a fascinated way the dance of the flames which gave him a warming feeling of home. At that time, his sister, Lily, was probably in her bed, while mother was reading her a fairytale. He was too old for stories, but that didn't mean he didn't miss his family.

But, as usual, he didn't get to be alone for too long. About four Gryffindors his age approached him and introduced themselves. He shook hands with them, having to listen to all their questions about his family. He actually began to think that he was only appreciated for what his parents had done and not for himself. He had to admit that there was a positive side to all that: now he had a group to belong to. Now nobody could say anything about his shyness or lack of friends.

Half an hour later though, it was time for bed, and the Gryffindors all went to their dormitories. Just as he was heading there, Albus felt a touch on his shoulder:

- Hey, Al.

- James!

His brother and his friends were behind him. In a strange way, he was happy to see them.

- I knew you'd do a good job. I was sure you'd be in Gryffindor.

- Now you'll get to know the real fun, Apollo also said.

- Let's hope we won't see you all day long with your books next to you, Albus, boy, Evan added.

- Well said. Ah, good I remembered. What was on your mind – being friends with that Malfoy? his brother asked.

- What does it matter who my friends are? The important thing is they appreciate me for what I am. What's the problem in it?

The four of them exchanged quick glances. Little Albus used some mighty words…But James replied in his own style:

- Easy. Because you mustn't. Because he's a Malfoy and that's it. But, well…You do what you want with your life.

And then, as a subtle comment, he also added:

- I hope you do get better marks than him.

- Meh, I will, said Albus half-heartedly to please him, after which he continued heading towards the bedroom. If he did everything his brother had suggested him, he'd have already become the fifth Marauder. He couldn't understand why he established his preferences so arbitrarily – for example, why he had something against Scorpius Malfoy just because he was a Slytherin. But, as he had said himself: he did what he wanted with his life.

In the Gryffindor tower, most of them were already sleeping, being dead tired. Inside one of the dormitories, however, two girls were still awake, whispering to each other so as not to disturb their roommates who were probably dreaming at that point.

The red-haired, freckled one spoke to the girl with ruffled hair:

- I can't wait to see how classes are here, at Hogwarts.

- Me too, Rose.

- I heard Halkyone is an excellent teacher. Well, at least that's what I heard from James.

- Which one? Potter?

- Yeah, that's him. You know, my parents and his are childhood friends. They went together at Hogwarts. In fact, my dad is his mother's brother.

- Great! So you know the Potters! You must be a very lucky girl! Hey, but…doesn't he have a brother our age?

- Yes, Albus is in Gryffindor, with us. Didn't you hear his name during the sorting ceremony?

- That's right, she said thoughtfully. Did you see how the Slytherins stood up when Malfoy was sorted in their house? We gave as good as we got, she also said, feeling suddenly even more attached to her own house.

- Well said. Those arrogant Slytherins…They'd be proud of any pureblood.

- Let's change the subject…Hmm…What other teachers do we have this year?

- Well…at Herbology we have Neville Longbottom, who…

- Who's a family friend as well, right? the enthusiastic girl asked.

- Yep, that's right. And at Transfigurations we have Professor Rachel Haltfire. I heard she's so strict that even Enwen is afraid of her!

Resmould Enwen was the school's caretaker. All the students knew him, and a great number of them had had to deal with him…in a way or another. It was likely that Hogwarts had an unwritten law of perpetuating its caretakers' personality, since Enwen too had a cult of persecuting students just as his predecessors.

- By the way, what classes do we have tomorrow? Look at the timetable, Rose.

For a few moments there was silence in the room.

- First class: Transfigurations.

Speaking of the wolf…

- Oh, and that's not the worst part. That's a common class with Slytherin.

- Hmmm…What a great start of the schoolyear…

…..

The Slytherin dormitories were in the dungeons, well under the lake. In this nearly menacing place – to anyone else but its residents, that is – three roommates were gossiping avidly in a whisper which seemed just loud enough for the fourth one to hear.

- She's so weird, isn't she, girls?

- She only dresses in black, did you see that?

- And she's always carrying her weird books! I actually saw…a fifth year Potions book near her bed!

- Then what is she doing at Hogwarts, if she already knows everything?

- Or perhaps she's just pretending to read, to make us feel inferior!

The girls chuckled when hearing that.

- Thank Merlin she's sleeping, otherwise she'd hex all of us!

Unfortunately for them, Rosabella Mortrand wasn't asleep. She was used to going to bed late at night. On one hand, she enjoyed pretending – that way, she got to know things she wouldn't have learned of otherwise. That gave her a feeling of domination. But on the other hand – she didn't quite enjoy what was being said about her. So what if she was a freak and liked reading advanced books? So what if, not having had money, she'd brought to Hogwarts her father's old ones? Even her robes were old, being enchanted to appear at least decent. Well, at least she could confort herself with an old Muggle saying – which was the only one she liked - : what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

After her roommates finally fell asleep, Rosabella reached out for a book in the huge pile near her. This one was entitled „Duel Spells. How to manipulate your opponents". She silently looked for page 23 and covered herself with the blanket. She then grabbed her wand and whispered _Lumos._

A faint light appeared from the tip of the wand which allowed her to read. She could finally do so without being bothered by anyone or anything. Not even by the stamp with a greenish glow that kept appearing and disappearing from the back cover of the book which said "Forbidden by the Ministry of Magic".

...

After a breakfast that went without incidents, each student went to the room he or she had classes next. Albus was overly enthusiastic about his first lesson at Hogwarts, which happened to be Transfigurations. His brother had told him professor Haltfire was an extremely tough woman and she only gave low marks, but he knew fully well not to trust him completely.

His first thought was not to get lost through the many stairs and corridors in the school, but luckily for him, his roommates offered to join him. When he reached the front of the door, not all Gryffindors were there, but definitely the Slytherins were. He could sense their envious and hateful looks. He greeted Scorpius, then scanned the first-year Slytherin crowd, not knowing for sure if he was even searching someone, when he did see an interesting person. That girl he'd seen at Ollivander's...Rosabella, that was her name. In the very next moment she turned her head towards him. Noticing an unpleasant surprise, she threw him a stinging glance that hurt him harder that those of her colleagues, then turned back to stare at her Transfigurations textbook. He suddenly didn't feel as calm as before.

Professor Haltfire arrived in about ten minutes and opened the door. She was a middle-aged, austere witch, dressed in black and red robes and had long, dark hair and deep blue eyes.

The students entered the classroom, with Albus hurrying to get the first desk. Not that anyone would particularly claim it, being strategically place so that the teacher could see your every move from there. Looking at the right side of the room, where the Slytherins were, he noticed that Rosabella had also chosen the first desk, along with three other unfortunate kids who had probably not had other choice. Rose Weasley and her new friend, Fredricca Spinter, sat in the second desk, right next to Albus, who recognized them and said hello.

- Good morning, dear students and welcome to your first class at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This part sounded too much like Velfinna's inaugural speech for Albus' taste.

After she taught them some pretty abstract notions that the students wrote on their parchments, Haltfire suddenly said:

- Stop.

Staring at each other, the kids set their feathers aside and did as they were told.

- The last sentence I dictated was...

One of the Gryffindors offered to read.

- "...using Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration".

- Thank you. So, Gamp's Law tells us what power magic has on creating or destroying matter.

Then, the witch smiled faintly.

- But, this rule has several exceptions. Does anyone know them?

Both Gryffindors and Slytherins seemed thunderstruck. How could Haltfire expect them to know the exceptions to an obscure magic law they had just found out about?

In the row on the right though, Rosabella turned around and sighed. Obviously, no one else knew...and she'd be an even greater freak if she answered. But...well, she wouldn't be respecting herself if she didn't.

So she rose her hand. Everyone in the class stared at her, which she hated, but she kept her hand up. The teacher raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone actually knew – either that, or she had did so in a lame attempt to boast about herself.

- Be quiet, she said to silence the voices of the other intrigued students. You can answer now, miss. But be aware that 10 points are given for a correct answer, indeed...but 30 are taken for a wrong one. So?

She took a deep breath and answered:

- There are five exceptions, Professor. Knowledge, money, life, food and love.

For a few moments there was silence in the Transfigurations room. Haltfire blinked a few times, after which she seemed to recover:

- Very well, miss. 10 points for Slytherin.

Rosabella was unbelievably happy to have brought the first points to her house. All those hours she had spent reading instead of...well, whatever young witches her age would've done instead were finally starting to pay off.

During the rest of the class, the teacher asked to transform their own feathers into buttons. Rosabella got it from the first attempt. To his own amazement, Albus also managed the third time, as well as Scorpius, who was seated at the middle of the Slytherin row of desks.

- All right, children. The class is nearly finished. I regret to say that the generations here at Hogwarts are less and less talented. Of course there are some exceptions – so I'll give 20 more points to Gryffindor and 10 to Slytherin, she said in a proud tone. You are free to go.

Scorpius seemed to hesitate to leave, though. Haltfire passed near his table, pretending to have a totally different purpose than to see what his problem was. She stopped next to him and asked him:

- Mr. Malfoy, is anything wrong? Oh, I see you can't transform the button back.

- Well, yes, that's...that's kinda true. Could...uhm...could you help me, Professor?

He had been too proud to ask the teacher before. But Haltfire had something else in mind. She raised her voice and asked:

- Miss Mortrand?

Rosabella was getting near the door when she heard Haltfire calling her name. What did she want now?

- Yes, madam?

- Would you please help Scorpius? He has a problem.

She didn't quite feel like turning around, but...well, whatever. She approached Scorpius' desk and immediately noticed. She took out her wand and instantly retransfigured the feather. Scorpius muttered a "thanks", then gathered his things and got out. That girl was intriguing. She knew more than was obvious. And Albus had the same feeling.


End file.
